Fireside way AMAZING!!!

Hi Family and Friends!

I don't have tons of time this week to write but I just wanted to give
a few updates. The work is going so great and I am so, so happy! The
Lord has blessed us so much and we are really able to see alot more
success in this area.

1) The fireside yesterday went AMAZING!! We had 20 investigators there
at least that I was aware of and packed chapel and overflow. I
couldn't believe it! Everything went so smoothly and I am just so
grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing us with a successful evening.
The ward said the same thing that Sister Griffiths said they did in
mission hills where they said, "Well, if we would have known it was
going to be that good we would have brought someone with us!". Now
they want to do it in Feb. again and I think we have really brought
the confidence level up in the ward and have increased the missionary
spririt.

2) Unfortuantely we had a lot of cancellations on us this week and
with new investigators sometimes they are surfacey, we haven't gotten
to teach them enough to really hook them. We contacted a lot this week
and invited a lot of people to the fireside and had a good time as
always. I wish I had another good story this week about contacting,
but nothing too entertaining.

3) We had a wonderful 8 hour training (crazy huh?) on thursday. It was
really, really great and President taught us a lot of really wonderful
things. We also have some great AP's who trained us also and we got a
lot of great ideas for contacting and how to teach people and not
lessons. I love the Preach My Gospel way of teaching because it is all
about utilizing the spirit and and really teaching people to their
needs and not a rote discussion. I can't tell you how wonderful that
program is and how much I have learned about teaching the gospel. One
of my favorite scriptures about this is in Alma 34: This is where
Korihor (or as Hannah Goo would say Korihorrible) is really telling
Alma that he is stupid for believing the things that he does and
preaching it also. It says :"And he did rise up in great swelling
words before Alma...accusing them of leading away the people after the
silly traditions of their fathers, for the sake of glutting on the
labors of the people." (Alma 30:31)  Alma's response: "And now, if we
do not receive anything for our labors in the church, what doth it
profit us to labor in the church save it were to declare the truth,
that we may have rejoicings in the joy of our brethren?" (Alma 30:34)
I had a dream about this and about me contacting. I love in contacting
to tell people that we are not there to sell them anything, that we
don't receive anything for what we do, and in fact we sacrifice a lot
to be there. I mean how crazy is that? Why would someone in their
rightmind give up something to try and tell people about this message
that we have? Because as alma says, "what doth it profit us to labor
in the church save it were to declare the truth, that we may have
rejoicings in the joy of our brethren..." I can't tell you the joy of
seeing someone gain a witness of the truth. That is why we do it! That
is why I do it. Nothing is so great as this gospel and to see the
change that happens when someone realizes that it really is true. That
we get nothing out of them changing except joy. That we are not there
to drag people to baptism for a number, or for membership...but purely
because it is Christ's church.

4) Thank you so much Grandma for the package! You are so sweet! Be
watching in the mail for something of your own :) Sure love you! Thank
you also to everyone for the early birthday wishes!! You are all so
kind to support and love me on my mission and for my birthday. It will
be fun to have my golden birthday! 22 on the 22nd! :) Also, people
have been getting my address wrong and so some stuff I have had to
pick up at the post office so I just wanted to clarify my address

Sister Chelsea Gould
44030 25th West St #7
Lancaster, CA
93536

Anyway, I just love all of you and miss you all so much! I love this
gospel with all my heart. Christ lives! I love this analogy:
Our Heavenly Father sends us to Earth to go to college.
Christ pays all of the tuition...he doesn't do the work, but he
already paid everything.
The Holy Ghost is the ultimate professor.
The Prophet is the T.A.
And we are the students.

Don't ever forget that the Lord already paid everything for us. Don't
let that go and push that gift aside, but work hard every day to live
up to that gift!

I LOVE YOU! This gospel is true and that is the BEST news ever.

Love always,
Sister Sheltz